There are several events in American history for which I will always recall where I was, and what I was doing, on those dates. I just added the Jan. 6, 2021 violent attack on the Capitol by domestic terrorists, provoked by a defeated president at the end of his term, to my personal list of infamous events. Given the above, I decided to reconfirm my values; and so I am … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: The Marquis, Groucho, Sam … and Me
A View from my Porch
A View from My Porch: Thoughts on the Occasion of the Inauguration
At noon on this past Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, President-elect Joseph R. Biden was inaugurated in a ceremony on the West Front of the Capitol. This was the culminating event in what has been a hostile transfer of power from former President Donald Trump to President Biden. The Environment: The then President Trump had claimed, repeatedly and without evidence, that the … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Thoughts on the Occasion of the Inauguration
A View from My Porch: A Primer on Vaccines, Part 2.5: Where Are We With Vaccines? CT’s Distribution Plan, Immunity Questions & More
Editor’s Note: This is a previously unplanned third of three parts of a highly topical essay titled, “A Primer on Vaccines,” by Thomas D. Gotowka. Part 2.5 reviews Connecticut’s readiness to distribute the vaccine, identifies some of the side effects that may be experienced, and considers the acquisition of individual immunity. Read the previous parts of the essay at these … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: A Primer on Vaccines, Part 2.5: Where Are We With Vaccines? CT’s Distribution Plan, Immunity Questions & More
A View from My Porch — A Primer on Vaccines: Part 2; “Approaching Daylight”
Editor's Note: This is the second of two parts of a highly topical essay titled, "A Primer on Vaccines," by Thomas D. Gotowka. Part 2 considers the complexities of reaching vaccine distribution. The author's goal is that the reader obtains a fundamental understanding of the vaccine approval process, and recognizes that Americans will be provided a vaccine that is safe and … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch — A Primer on Vaccines: Part 2; “Approaching Daylight”
A View from My Porch: A Primer on Vaccines: Part 1; “Still Running to Daylight”
This essay begins an examination of the development and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. Part 1 reviews the key terminology that one may encounter in the media; and the intense evaluation and approval process that is required for these vaccines before they can be used on Americans. I also identify the important developers and discuss their … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: A Primer on Vaccines: Part 1; “Still Running to Daylight”
A View from My Porch: The ‘Aristocrat of the Silent Screen’, the ‘Bee & Thistle’ … and Other Thoughts
The recent announcement that the Connecticut Audubon Society had reached an agreement to purchase the Bee & Thistle Inn, and plans to renovate it as the future headquarters for the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center, piqued my curiosity regarding the Inn’s history. This essay briefly reviews the life of an individual who was fairly instrumental in its founding, the … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: The ‘Aristocrat of the Silent Screen’, the ‘Bee & Thistle’ … and Other Thoughts
A View from My Porch: A Letter to President-Elect Biden
An Open Letter to President-Elect Biden: Why do you even want this job? To the best of my knowledge, you don’t play golf or enjoy tooling around in a golf cart. I feel that, if you did play, you would probably walk the course, anyways. I doubt that you even anticipate weekends and evenings off. When you communicate with us, please use the spoken word, which appears … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: A Letter to President-Elect Biden
A View From My Porch: Make America Safe Again, A Primer on Herd Immunity
A lot of people recently started saying, “Herd immunity.” So, to get up to speed, I reviewed some of my old textbooks and learned (again) that “herd immunity” occurs when a substantial portion of the population (i.e., the “herd”) has, at least in our contemporary medical era, been vaccinated (e.g., MMR.) This eventually provides protection for vulnerable individuals … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Make America Safe Again, A Primer on Herd Immunity
A View from My Porch: Great Leaders, Great Speeches; The Finale: Collapse of the Soviet Union.
Editor’s Note: This the sixth and final part of Thomas Gotowka’s series titled “Great Leaders and Great Speeches.’ The previous four parts can be found at these links: A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 1: Washington’s Farewell through Theodore Roosevelt A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 2: Nazi Aggression through “A Rain … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Great Leaders, Great Speeches; The Finale: Collapse of the Soviet Union.
A View From My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches. Part 5: Cold War “Visual Aids”
Editor’s Note: This the fifth part of Thomas Gotowka’s series titled “Great Leaders and Great Speeches.’ The previous four parts can be found at these links: A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 1: Washington’s Farewell through Theodore Roosevelt A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 2: Nazi Aggression through “A Rain of Ruin … [Read more...] about A View From My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches. Part 5: Cold War “Visual Aids”
A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 4: The Cold War Heats Up
Editor’s Note: This the third part of Thomas Gotowka’s series titled “Great Leaders and Great Speeches.’ The previous three parts can be found at these links: A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 1 A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 2 A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 3: The Cold War Part 3 … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 4: The Cold War Heats Up
A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 3: The Cold War
Editor's Note: This the third part of Thomas Gotowka's series titled "Great Leaders and Great Speeches.' The previous two parts can be found at these links: A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 1 A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 2 Part 2 concluded with President Truman’s decision to use the atom bomb to bring the war with … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 3: The Cold War
A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 2: Nazi Aggression through “A Rain of Ruin from the Air” on Hiroshima
Nazi Aggression through “A Rain of Ruin from the Air” on Hiroshima Part 1 ended with a review of Theodore Roosevelt’s extension of the Monroe Doctrine to enable the United States to exercise “international police power” in the Western Hemisphere. I continue my review of significant speeches with one of Winston Churchill’s wartime speeches. As noted last time, my selection … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 2: Nazi Aggression through “A Rain of Ruin from the Air” on Hiroshima
A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 1: Washington’s Farewell through Theodore Roosevelt
Part 1: Washington’s Farewell through Theodore Roosevelt I enjoy reading historic speeches. I often find them to be inspiring; and they can fill gaps in my understanding of an important event or period in history. In this essay, I begin my review of these speeches, and provide some context for the events that precipitated their creation. These essays will not be an … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: Great Leaders and Great Speeches, Part 1: Washington’s Farewell through Theodore Roosevelt
A View from My Porch: The Rising Waters of Long Island Sound — A Primer on Global Warming and Climate Change, Postscript Now Added
POSTSCRIPT ADDED 04/14: Our home is on a salt marsh alongside a small, tidal river. Over the past several years, we have observed gradual changes in the breadth and height of high tide. Eventually, the borders of our yard directly adjacent to the river were covered with brackish water at high tide to about 25 ft. beyond the riverbank. This occurs regardless of moon phase or the … [Read more...] about A View from My Porch: The Rising Waters of Long Island Sound — A Primer on Global Warming and Climate Change, Postscript Now Added